CHAPTER XIV.
"Nor less was she in heart affected, But that she masked it with modesty, For fear she should of lightness be detected." --_Spenser's "Fairy Queen."_
Violet had lingered at the Laurels, with her Aunt Rose, for some hoursafter her mother returned to Ion with the children, and in the meanwhilethere had been a long talk between Mrs. Travilla and Capt. Raymond, inwhich he had pleaded his cause with all the eloquence an ardent passioncould inspire.
Elsie's answer was, "If you have won my daughter's heart, her hand shallnot be refused you. But she is yet too young for the graveresponsibilities of married life. Nor can I reconcile myself to thethought of parting with her so soon; therefore I should greatly prefer tohave the matter dropped, at least for the present."
The captain repeated what he had said to Mr. Dinsmore in regard to hiswillingness to leave Violet with her mother if only he might have her forhis wife.
"That would be very pleasant," Elsie said her eyes shining; "and so faryou have the decided advantage of a suitor who would carry her away fromus; but, Captain, you are a father, and the woman whom you marry should benot only a wife to you, but also a mother to your children; but for thatcare and responsibility my little Vi is, I fear, far too young. Indeed, mymother heart can ill brook the thought of her being so burdened in thevery morning of her life."
"Nor should I be willing to burden her, my dear Mrs. Travilla," he saidwith feeling; "she should never bear the lightest burden that I could saveher from. But, my dear madam, would my children be any better off if Ishould remain single? I think not, and I also think that should I marryanother while my heart is your daughter's, I should be doing very wrong.But I cannot; if I fail to win her I shall remain as I am to the end of mydays."
"I trust not," she said; "you may get over this and meet with some oneelse with whom you can be very happy."
He shook his head very decidedly. "I feel that that is impossible. But howwas it in your own case, Mrs. Travilla? Mrs. Dinsmore is, I understand,but a few years older than yourself."
"That is quite true, sir; and I know papa never let her take anyresponsibility in regard to me, but taught, trained, and cared for me inall respects himself; he was father and mother both to me," she said witha lovely smile; "but you, my dear sir, are so situated that you could notfollow his example; you can neither stay at home with your children nortake them to sea with you."
"True, but they can stay where they are quite as well if I am married asif I remain without a wife. I love them very dearly, Mrs. Travilla, andearnestly desire to do my whole duty to them, but I do not think it a partof that either to do without the dear little wife I covet, or to burdenher with cares unsuited to her tender years. Are you not willing to let mesettle this question of duty for myself?"
"I certainly have not the shadow of a right or inclination to attempt tosettle any question of duty for you, sir," she answered with sweetgentleness, "but I must, I think, try to help my dear child to considersuch questions for herself. And with her, after all, must the decision ofthis matter remain."
Both mother and lover waited with anxiety for that decision, and whilewaiting the captain wrote his letter, the mother busied herself with heraccustomed cares and duties as daughter, mother, mistress, and hostess,each heart lifting up silent petitions that the result might be for God'sglory and the best interests of all concerned.
Elsie was not surprised that Violet did not join the family that eveningon her return from the Laurels.
"She doubtless wants a talk with her mother first," was her silent commenton learning that Vi had gone directly to that part of the house in whichthe private apartments of the family were situated, and presently, as allseparated for the night, she sought her own dressing-room, expecting tofind Violet waiting for her there.
But the room was unoccupied; one swift glance revealed that fact, and alsoshowed her the box Violet had left on her toilet-table, and beside it somelittle token of love and remembrance from each of the other members of thefamily.
A label on each told who was the giver, and breathed of tender affectionto her for whom it was prepared.
She looked them over with glistening eyes, a heart full of gratitude forthe loves still left her, though sore with the thought, recalled by everyanniversary, of him who was gone, and a sweet and beautiful smile playingabout her lips.
Violet's gift was the last to be taken up and examined. So life-like wasthe pictured face suddenly exposed to Elsie's view that it startled heralmost as if he had come in and stood by her side. The label told her itwas from Violet, but even without that she would have recognized it as herwork; and that it was so made it all the more precious to the widowedmother.
She was gazing intently upon it, her lips quivering, the big tearsdropping fast down her cheeks, as Violet, with Capt. Raymond's letter inher hand, opened the door, came softly in, and glided noiselessly to herside.
"Dearest mamma," she murmured, stealing an arm about her mother's waist,"does it please you?"
"Nothing could be more like him! My darling, thank you a thousand times!"
"I painted almost entirely from memory, mamma, and it was emphatically alabor of love--love to you and to him. Oh, how sadly sweet it was to seethe dear face growing day by day under my hand!"
"Has your grandpa seen it?"
"Yes, mamma, he used to come in sometimes and watch me at my work. Hethinks as you do of the likeness. Ah, I hear his step!" and she hastenedto open the door for him.
"I thought I should find you here," he said, kissing her on both cheeks,then drawing her near the light and gazing with keen, loving scrutiny intothe blushing face.
"Elsie daughter," turning to her--"Ah!" as he perceived her emotion andtook note of the miniature in her hand, "is it not a speaking likeness?"
"Yes, papa," she said in a trembling voice, going to him to lay her headon his breast while he clasped her in his arms, "but it has roused such anintense longing in my heart!
"'Oh, for the touch of a vanished hand, And the sound of a voice that is still!"
"Dearest child!" he said tenderly, "the separation is only for time, and along eternity of reunion will follow. 'Our light affliction, which is butfor a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight ofglory.'"
"'But for a moment!'" she repeated. "Yes, it will seem like that when itis past, though now the road looks so long and lonely."
"Ah, dearest!" he said, softly smoothing her hair, "remember that nearer,dearer Friend whose promise is, 'I will never leave thee, nor forsakethee.'"
Presently she lifted her head, wiped away her tears, and as her fatherreleased her from his arms, turned to her daughter with a tenderlyinterested and inquiring look.
"What is it, my darling?" she asked, glancing at the letter in the younggirl's hand.
Violet gave it to her, saying, with downcast eyes and blushing cheeks, "Ifound it on my dressing-table, mamma. It is from him--Capt. Raymond--and Ihave written a note in reply."
"Shall I go away, Vi, and leave you and your mamma to your confidences?"Mr. Dinsmore asked playfully, putting an arm about each and looking withsmiling eyes from one to the other.
"No, grandpa, please stay; you know I have no secrets from you," Violetanswered, half hiding her face on his shoulder.
"And are grandpa and I to read both epistles--yours and his?" asked hermother.
"If you please, mamma. But mine is not to be given unless you bothapprove."
The captain's was a straightforward, manly letter, renewing his offer witha hearty avowal of strong and deathless love, and replying to herobjections as he had already in talking with her mother and grandfather.
Violet's answer did not contain any denial of a return of his affection;she simply thanked him for the honor done her, but said she did not feelold enough or wise enough for the great responsibilities of married life.
"Rather non-committal, isn't it, little cricket?" was her grandfather'splayful comment. "It s
trikes me that you neither accept nor reject him."
"Why, grandpa," she said confusedly, "I thought it was a rejection."
Mr. Dinsmore and his daughter had seated themselves near the table, onwhich a lamp was burning, and Violet knelt on a hassock at her mother'sfeet, half hiding her blushing face on her lap.
"Ah, my little girl!" Elsie said, with playful tenderness, putting onehand under Vi's chin, and lifting the fair face to look into it with keen,loving scrutiny, "were I the captain, I should not despair; the citadel ofmy Vi's heart is half won."
The cheeks were dyed with hotter blushes at that, but no denial came fromthe ruby lips. "Mamma, I do not want to marry yet for years," she said,"and I think it will not be easy for any one to win me away from you."
"But he says he will not take you away," remarked her grandpa.
"Are you on his side, grandpa?" asked Violet.
"Only if your heart is, my dear child." "And in that case I am on his sidetoo," said her mother, "because I desire my little girl's happiness evenmore than her dear companionship as exclusively my own."
"Except what belongs to her grandpa and guardian," said Mr. Dinsmore,taking Vi's arm and gently drawing her to a seat upon his knee.
Vi put her arms about his neck. "The dearest, kindest grandpa and guardianthat ever anybody had!" she said, giving him a kiss of ardent affection."Well, if you, sir, and mamma are both on the captain's side, I suppose itwon't do for me to reject him. But you say my note isn't a rejection, sowill you please give it to him? And if he isn't satisfied to take it forno and let me alone on the subject, he may wait a year or two and seeif--if he still feels toward me as he does now, and perhaps--onlyperhaps--if he hasn't changed his mind and asks again----"
"You may say yes?" Mr. Dinsmore asked as she broke off in confusion.
"Oh, grandpa, say what you think best! only don't make it too easy forhim," she said, with an arch smile, but blushing deeply.
"I think," said Mr. Dinsmore, "I shall only give him your note without anyadditions of my own, and leave him to carry on further negotiations, ornot, as he sees fit."
Capt. Raymond did not take Vi's answer as a decided rejection, and withintwenty-four hours had won from her an acknowledgment that she was notindifferent to him, and persuaded her to promise him her hand at somefar-off future day. All seemed well contented with the arrangement, andthe week that followed was a very delightful one to the lovers.
In the mean time his Christmas gifts to his children had been received bythem with great joy. Especially did Max and Lulu rejoice over theopportunity now afforded them to open their hearts to their father andtell him all their grievances.
He had written to both Mr. Fox and Mrs. Scrimp directing his gifts to bedelivered into the children's own hands without any examination, and neverto be taken from them. Also that they be allowed to spend their Christmastogether.
So Max was permitted to go to Mrs. Scrimp's to spend the day with hissisters, and was well pleased to do so when he learned that that ladywould not be at home, having accepted an invitation to take her Christmasdinner elsewhere.
Ann, who was left at home to look after the children, gave them anexcellent dinner, and Max, having found some money in his desk, cameprovided with candies.
They compared presents, and spent some time over the books their fatherhad sent, then Max and Lulu decided that it would be best to write now totheir father, thanking him for his gifts and telling him all they had solong wanted him to know.
Lulu compressed what she had to say into a few lines--her love, thanks,longing to see papa, Gracie's feebleness, and her own belief that it wasall because she did not get enough to eat; an acknowledgment that she wassaucy to "Aunt Beulah," and sometimes helped herself to food, but excusingit on the plea that otherwise she too would be half starved; and that poorMax was often beaten and abused by Mr. Fox for just nothing at all.
Max's letter was much longer, as he went more into detail, and was notfinished for several days. When it was he inclosed it and Lulu's, whichshe had given into his charge, in one of the envelopes that he had foundin his desk ready stamped and directed, and mailed it to his father.
These letters reached Ion on New Year's morning. The captain read themwith deep concern, first to himself, then to Mrs. Travilla and Violet, asthey happened to be alone together in the parlor.
The hearts of both ladies were deeply touched, and their eyes filled withtears as they listened to the story of the wrongs of the poor motherlesschildren.
"Oh, captain, you will not leave them there where they are so ill used?"Vi said almost imploringly; "it breaks my heart to think of theirsufferings!"
"Don't let it distress you, my dear girl," he replied soothingly; "weshould perhaps make some allowance for unintentional exaggeration. Thereare always two sides to a story, and we have but one here."
"But told in a very straightforward way," Elsie said with warmth. "Bothletters seem to me to bear the stamp of truth. Depend upon, it, captain,there is good ground for their complaints."
"I fear so," he said, "and am quite as anxious, my dear Mrs. Travilla, asyou could wish to set my dear children free from such tyranny; but whatcan I do? In obedience to orders, I must return to my vessel to-morrow andsail at once for a distant foreign port. I cannot go to see about mydarlings, and I know of no better place to put them. I shall, however,write to Mrs. Scrimp, directing her to have immediately the best medicaladvice for Gracie, and to follow it, feeding her as the doctor directs.Also always to give Lulu as much as she wants of good, plain, wholesomefood. I shall also write to Fox, giving very particular directions inregard to the management of my son."